How Acting Helps Develop Humanity

Most parents wish for their child to grow up a kind-hearted, empathetic person. Someone who is able to understand feelings and perspective of others, and take them into consideration. Empathy is an essential skill for kids to master because it’s the foundation of healthy and successful relationships. In fact, it has been proven that kids with greatest levels of empathy are more likely to do better in school, social situations, and show themselves as leaders later in life.One of the advantages of acting for kids is that it’s a great way to learn empathy. Acting is not about memorizing lines, or learning stage movement. The heart of acting is in the ability to create a character from the words on the page of a script, knowing what the character wants, needs, and feels. An actor creates a nuanced portrait of someone. Sure, the costumes and makeup are important to create a full image. But the most important is translating emotional complexity to the audience – that what brings a character to life.When an actor plays a character, they step into another person’s shoes, experiencing their emotions and feelings. In acting, the performer has an emotional connection with their character, so your child will gain an insight of different experiences, becoming more empathetic in the process.

Rejection can sometimes be a lesson

An actor of any age (as well as models) will also be very familiar with the reality of rejection in the industry. No matter how talented an actor is, and how perfect they are for the role/job, there’s always a chance they’ll be turned down. It’s something that happens to even established actors. Being turned down can be hard on one’s self-esteem, and will certainly be a letdown. But rejection can serve a valuable lesson as well: someone that knows the pain of not getting what they want will feel more humanity towards others in a similar situation.

Acting comes with a lot of interesting and fun aspects for kids: dressing up in different costumes, pretending you’re someone else, interacting with other kids. But it’s also a chance to develop emotional intelligence and feel more connected to your own feeling and emotions, as well as the emotions of others.

Movies that teach kids empathy

Movies, cartoons, and TV shows have the power to stir our emotions and drastically shift our perspective. The right film can teach a child empathy and open their heart to humanity better than any lesson ever could. We’ve prepared a list of films that will teach your kid empathy: